Blazing Form, Piercing Wind
by redninjalass19
Summary: The fire flashed within his eyes, the ball hidden from his opponents. Her eyes shone like ice, wind sliced their bones in the aftermath of her passing. Two complete opposites, in a place they never thought they would be. Maybe they are more alike than they thought.
1. Lost

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ace of Diamond, it belongs to Yuji Terajima.**

 **I am making no profit from this story, it is only for entertainment.**

 **I hope you enjoy and are not disappointed.**

* * *

Chapter 1: **Wrong Place, Wrong Time**

With each step she took, she flew, as if the gravity had been switched off just for her. The moment her foot touched the ground, she felt the power coil in her leg muscles, being released in a flash of power.

The racing beat of her heart thudded in her ears, her harsh breathing creating a rhythm that accompanied the pounding of her feet.

In the corners of her sharp grey eyes the scenery blurred by, her vision tunneled onto the track before her. She vaguely registered the dull hum of the spectators, adding to the symphony that was building up in her ears.

She could feel the drops of sweat roll down her skin; the cold liquid contrasting with her boiling skin.

She was hyperaware of everything about her body, feeling everything. Feeling every groove in the track beneath her feet, the grip her shoes created as she pushed forward.

All distractions had faded away at the sound of the starting gun.

It was just her and the track.

Her competitors had fallen behind; there was only clear track in front of her and she dared not look back to check where they were.

It didn't matter.

50 metres, 40 metres, 30, 20.

The finishing line swept closer, the song of the race reaching a crescendo. She leapt over the white line; time stopping for just that moment. She looked at the clock.

12.38 seconds.

A new record.

The melody in her ears halted as the roar of the crowd replaced it. She smiled through the burning of her lungs, her hummingbird heart, the lightness of her head.

She'd won.

* * *

Kazehaya Azami bounded through the corridors of her new school, desperately looking at the signs above the doors.

She was late. The first day of her high school career and she was late. She wasn't even late because of something significant or life changing.

No, she just couldn't find the right freaking door.

She glanced to her left and spotted the sign that read '1-A'. She grinned, as '1-C' couldn't be that much further. She picked up her pace, the bland school walls becoming a blur.

She couldn't have been the only one with this trouble. But so far, the halls had been vacant and she had not met any other straggling students.

How had everyone else managed to find their classroom so easily? Did they get a map or something that had missed her?

She sighted the next doorway and continued past, barely glimpsing at the sign '1-B'.

Almost there.

Another classroom came into view, the exact same as all the others before. However, above this one was the sign, '1-C'. Her heart leapt as relief washed through her, finally saved from wandering the empty halls.

Azami slowed as she approached, fixing the yellow jumper that had become disheveled I her mad dash through the school. She ran one hand through her long, curly locks, hoping it did not look as chaotic as it felt.

She stopped before the door and took a deep breath, her heart still pounding.

Her future and everything she had dreamed of in high school was beyond that thin slip of wood. That, or scolding and humiliation for being late the first day.

Either way, a whole new world was waiting beneath her finger-tips as she slid the door open and peered inside.

Immediately she regretted that decision as the whole class turned to focus on her. She stepped completely inside and slid the door shut behind her. Facing the teacher, she bowed low and hoped that he would let it go and take pity on the directionless, clueless girl.

At least, that was what she hoped he would see.

" _Gomen'nasai sensei_ , I had some trouble finding the classroom" she cried in an apologetic tone, keeping her head down.

She heard the teacher sigh and she chanced a glimpse. Looked like a decent sort, though a bit menacing with the close cut grey hair and the stern expression. It could go either way.

"You would not be the first. We were about to finish the introductions and since you were late, you are the last to do so" he conceded, not pushing the issue further.

This was getting better.

" _Arigato sensei_ " she replied, turning to the class, finding she still had most of their attention. She opened her mouth, intending to give the best first impression of her life.

She then closed it and looked back at the teacher.

" _Ano_ , what do I say?" she asked sheepishly.

The teacher gave her a flat stare. It stopped getting better.

"Name, school and which club you are planning to join" he droned, obviously having had to repeat the same thing numerous times already.

" _Hai_ " she nodded, facing the rest of her class once more.

"My name is Kazehaya Azami from Daini Junior High and I am going to join the track team" she announced, glancing around nervously as she saw each of her new classmates deciding whether to care or not.

Most chose the latter.

Now it was getting worse again.

"Please sit down and take out your books so we can start the official lessons" the teacher asked, looking down at the notes on his desk.

She again nodded and weaved her way between the closely packed desks, taking particular care to ensure she would not hit anyone. She slumped down into her chair as the teacher clapped his hands, once more gaining the attention of the class.

She zoned out as he started the yearly waffle that teachers always seemed to favour at the start of a new term.

Today officially sucked.

* * *

Takashima Rei strode down the corridor in the wake of the end of day bell, heading for one of the first year classrooms.

When she had been told that a new student would be staying in the dorms with the baseball team, but would not be playing baseball, she had had reservations.

This school was based on baseball, so why suddenly take an interest in a sprinter?

Formally of Daini Junior High, who were famous for their athletics team, it was a mystery to all why she had chosen Seidou.

She had qualified for nationals for the past three years and had won gold in her third, making her one of the fastest middle school students in Japan. She had caused a major upheaval when she announced she was to come here, especially since she was still planning to compete in the high school divisions.

Kami knows how many offers she must have turned down.

However, despite the sport, she was national level which meant the principal had taken a great interest in her. This was why she was staying in the dorms as they had the best facilities for those dedicated to sports.

Rei approached the door to '1-C' and slid it open, recalling that this was the class that the southpaw pitcher had been assigned.

The sensei turned to her as the students continued to pack away their things.

"I am here for Kazehaya Azami about her accommodation" she told him, bowing slightly in greeting.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw a dark head snap towards her.

"Hai, Kazehaya you are to go with Takashima-sensei" he told the girl that had appeared, who had succeeded reaching the front without colliding with the densely-packed desks.

"Hai, sensei" she replied, her voice slightly lower and softer than Rei expected out of a young girl her height.

Kazehaya looked up and Rei took a moment to examine her.

Though smaller than any other first year she was compact, as if power was coiled within her, ready to move at the slightest opportunity. Her legs were long compared to the rest of her body and looked solid which was unsurprising considering her background.

Her curly hair reached just beneath her shoulder blades and the strange light blue complimented the cool grey of her eyes. Paired with her pale complexion, she reminded Rei of winter, of the piercing wind that cut through to the bare bone.

But her eyes were so very human, filled with slight confusion and anticipation.

Her uniform looked slightly rumpled, as if adjusted in a rush as one sleeve was slipping off her shoulder and her bow was lopsided.

Rei left the class with the small girl right behind her, somewhat unsettled by the girls' appearance. However, there was something else, something that put her on edge.

Her power was plain to any that took the time to look but there was a sensation of sharpness to it.

She couldn't accurately describe it but she had sometimes felt it from Miyuki, as it was not the feeling of an ace.

No, it was the feeling of those who were incredible at what they did and could subdue those less than them.

And they knew it.

But Rei had the feeling that this girl would be like Miyuki and use their talents for others as much as themselves.

When he wasn't causing his teammates to contemplate murder.

She headed to the accommodation block, her long strides making short work of it as the rest of the school piled out of their classrooms, glad to leave the first lessons of the year far behind them.

She had no doubts Kazehaya could keep up with the fast pace and when they left the school, hurrying past the team member going in the same direction, she could sense her following closely.

Finally they came to the dorms, the sign 'Seidou Spirit Dorm' above the entrance.

Rei continued guiding the young sprinter until the end of the first block, to a room that was more secluded from the others. She turned to Kazehaya and indicated to the door.

"This will be your room during your time at Seidou. Please do not allow any members of the baseball team into it and likewise, do not enter their rooms. Do not cause a disturbance" she instructed, spinning around to leave.

The voice, though soft, reached her.

"Where are the running tracks?" the student asked, her tone filled with excitement at resuming practice.

The same way the team did when asking about their practices.

She had a feeling that she had been waiting to ask someone that question all day.

"Someone will come for you tomorrow after classes with anyone else interest to where the athletics squad meets" she answered, intrigued at the eagerness clear in her question.

She again made to leave but before stepping away told her,

"Your bags are in the room waiting for you."

She glanced back to see the girl close her mouth with a surprised look on her face.

Rei finally left, and headed to the training ground, watching the players trample in to start practice.

A small smile made its way onto her face

Perhaps Kazehaya may fit in with these guys after all.

* * *

The night was cool, the slight breeze caressing the surfaces it glided over; bring relief from the hot Tokyo sun.

Azami breathed steadily, keeping it even as she started another circuit of the school grounds. As she jogged past the baseball grounds she saw a figure running.

With what looked like a tyre following him.

The once white uniform now matched the ground he ran on, but he didn't look to be stopping any time soon. She smiled, as it looked as if someone else was as dedicated to their sport as she was.

She turned away from the strange figure and continued on her way, pushing more power into each step she took.

Maybe this school would not be such a drag after all.

* * *

 **That concludes the first chapter. I hope you can review please and tell me if you liked it and what I can improve.**

 **Dōmo arigatōgozaimashita**


	2. Food

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ace of Diamond, it belongs to Yuji Terajima.**

 **I am making no profit from this story, it is only for entertainment.**

 **I wanted to start introducing Azami to other character and hopefully left you get a feel for her character. I hope you enjoy and are not disappointed.**

* * *

Chapter 2: **Food**

It had been barely two days since Azami's first day at Seido and she already doubted her life choices.

Seido was a pretty cool place but they were all bonkers over baseball. Seriously, they were baseball mad. It wasn't really a surprise, as she knew when she had tested to attend that they were famous for the sport, and had produced numerous well-known players.

What really caught her off guard was how dedicated they were. She was always the only one to stay back after practice in middle school, to literally go the extra mile. But the whole team did here.

After settling in the first day, she had skipped dinner, wanting to put of the inevitable socialising she would be forced into if she left her room. She still had some biscuits in her bag from earlier.

A habit she had picked up at an early age; always have food on you at all times.

Morning, however, had trampled on any sense of victory at her successful avoidance the previous day as her stomach demanded breakfast. Which meant finding the cafeteria.

Azami had always been an early riser so she could fit in more training; though she didn't go out that morning, planning to search for a more suitable place than she had used last night. So she spent the time locating her books for the day, as she couldn't quite remember where she had dumped them the day before.

She dressed in her uniform, putting on a large navy jumper over it. It didn't fit, as it hung off one of her shoulders and covered half of her skirt, but it was warm. That was the priority. Even if it did look like she had raided her father's closet.

Once she had gathered her things for the day, she reluctantly left her room. Hopefully this meant she could miss the bulk of the team that would soon be crowding the place. She poked her head out, and saw that the coast was clear.

She exited and headed for the collection of larger buildings, hoping to find the food there. The vague thought that this place was a bit much for a single sports team crossed her mind as she walked.

Azami eyed a few buildings to her left that looked as though they could be a place for eating. She really needed to get a map of this place. Her sense of direction has never been stellar but this was ridiculous.

Suddenly, she hit a warm, hard wall and she fell back, silently cursing her lack of attentiveness. She decided to blame it on her current hunger. She couldn't be held responsible for what she did when she was hungry.

She looked up as a low, smooth voice asked if she was okay. She rose to her feet, brushing down her skirt as she scanned the boy.

He had several inches on her, which was not unusual as she was always smaller. He was dressed casually, with a pair of simple jeans and a burnt red shirt t-shirt. He wore a white cap to one side on top of his wavy brown hair and a pair of chocolate brown eyes analysed her from behind square frames.

"I'm fine" she replied shortly, trying and failing to adjust her jumper. She just left it as the boy spoke again.

"Are you lost or something? It's kind of weird for a girl to stalk the dorms, especially this early" he inquired, peering down at her with a condescending smirk.

She felt her face heat up involuntarily as she glared. Who the heck did he think he was?

"I am not a freaking stalker, jerk. I live here and was unfortunate to get barged into by you" she snapped, feeling her face turn the same colour as his shirt. This was why having pale skin sucked.

"Do you happen to be a new addition to the team we haven't been told about? I doubt it since you are not a player, judging by your build" he teased, looking increasingly amused by the blue-haired girl's expression.

Her eyes widened slightly before narrowing. Two could play this game.

"Are you in the habit of perving on any girl you bump into?" she retorted, delight fluttering within her as she watched his feature switch from amused to shock.

"I'm not a pervert" he exclaimed.

Wow, the p-word really riled guys up. It was almost comical how they reacted.

"We have known each other a matter of minutes and you make a comment about my body type. What was I supposed to think?" she asked, raising her right eyebrow.

He stared at her.

For some reason, people were always surprised that her personality didn't match her appearance. She supposed that the light blue hair and tiny stature gave a completely different impression. Her dad would kill her if she dyed it though. Reminded him of Mom.

"Now if you will excuse me, I have better things to do than be viewed in such a derogatory manner" she said, pushing past the jerk with her head held high.

As she stormed down the hall, she sneaked a glimpse back. The boy still stood there, looking at her go with a slightly befuddled look on his handsome face. She missed a step, stumbling slightly. Why had she thought that? He was a pervert and a jerk

A chuckle reached her ears.

"Nice dramatic exit" he called.

Her fist clenched as she continued walking. If she never saw him again, it would be too soon. She stopped when she felt she had gone far enough to escape and looked around. No sign of the cafeteria and she had no idea where she was.

Damn that stupid jerk.

* * *

Azami ended up missing breakfast altogether, forced to find her way to class before she was marked as late for a second day. She found her seat and collapsed, flopping over her desk and groaning.

For the second time that day she heard a voice ask if she was okay. Unlike the first it was soft and high with a hint of nervousness, as though she was hesitant. Azami looked up at the girl sitting at the desk in front of her.

She was pretty. Dark red hair that reached just past her shoulders and her large eyes were a lovely tan colour. She wore the same uniform as Azami, except she filled it out well, with a bright, kind expression on her face.

Azami became overly aware of her own body, on which everything always looked slightly too big. Her navy jumper probably didn't help as it made her completely shapeless and seem much younger than she actually was. But it was warm, so she just lived with it.

She couldn't help but sigh slightly. Why did the pretty, nice one have to notice her?

"I'm fine," she answered, dropping her head back into arms. "I didn't eat breakfast because I couldn't find where the food was".

She heard a quiet rustling and raised her head once more. Suddenly, a red blob was thrust into her face,

"Kaa-san always packs a great bento for me so I don't need it all. Would you like this?" the other offered, eyes locked downwards.

Azami sat up, really looking at the girl in front of her. She was really pretty, but it didn't seem like she knew it. She looked shy and even slightly awkward, though Azami couldn't imagine why.

"Thanks. My name is Kazehaya Azami. What's yours?" Azami asked, taking the apple from her.

"My name is Yoshikawa Haruno" she replied.

Azami took a bite of the apple, almost squirming with relief as she felt it fill the void in her stomach. She needed to restock the supplies in her bag since she ate the last of them yesterday.

"Haruno-chan, I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship" Azami announced, drawing a surprised look from the other girl.

"B-but, what?" Haruno stuttered, probably not expecting such words from the blue-haired girl.

It was a bit forward of Azami to call the other girl by her first name so soon and even more so to add the suffix, but she had never been one to filter her words.

"Don't you know? All the most epic friendships begin with food" Azami said, winking at her.

She saw a slight smile form on Haruno's face before she turned back to face the front, the teacher about to begin the class.

Azami quickly guzzled the rest of the apple before unpacking her school supplies. Maybe the day could be redeemed.

* * *

Kazehaya Azami was certainly one of the more unusual people that Haruno had ever met.

After handing her the apple, she hadn't expected much. Maybe a thank you and a smile and that would be that. Well, she had got both of those, but she had also received Azami's undying friendship as part of it.

It was not unwelcome though to gain a friend. She had been getting into trouble with the other mangers due her clumsiness so it made a nice change to have something good happen.

She loved being a manager though, as it had always been her dream. It was just turning out to be a bit different than she had imagined.

Haruno had taken her place in class on the second day not expecting that much. Then the blue-haired girl had entered the classroom, looking miserable and just collapsing into her chair.

The other girl's appearance was unusual, as it was not just for her lateness she had stood out yesterday. She was so small and the navy jumper she wore made her look even tinier. She didn't seem like she should be in her first year of high school; more like she should be in middle school.

There was also her hair. Light blue and it looked natural. Matched with her pale skin, her cool grey eyes and her stature, she reminded Haruno of a snowflake, a breath of cold air as she entered the classroom. She looked so delicate.

Haruno had felt she had to check on the girl as she slumped in her chair. When the other girl had looked up to see who had spoken, Haruno had been taken aback slightly. Silver eyes analysed her and up close her face looked more mature than the impression her stature gave.

When she spoke, her voice was lower and softer than Haruno was expecting. She had heard the problem and hadn't thought twice about offering some of her lunch. The small girl looked as though she could float away.

When Haruno had offered the apple, the other girl had really sat up and paid attention to Haruno. Up close, the girl looked stronger than her appearance. Haruno shifted slightly with unease. This girl was much more than her already unique looks and it made Haruno feel inadequate.

The other girl had taken the apple and had immediately introduced herself. Kazehaya Azami; it fit. Haruno hastily replied with her own name, expecting that to be end of the exchange.

Azami had then announced that it would be the start of a beautiful friendship, after using her first name and a casual suffix. Haruno had never been so surprised by another person. Her attitude really didn't match the rest of her.

Haruno had stuttered her reply, still repeating the words in her head. They were so forward, with none of the etiquette normally displayed between two strangers.

Then Azami started speaking about epic friendships and food. As the teacher began class, Haruno turned to face the front, a small smile forming on her face.

Kazehaya Azami was definitely unusual, she full of contradictions and she had a slight obsession with food, but it seemed that Haruno had gained a new friend.

* * *

 **That concludes the second chapter.**

 **I hope I got Miyuki and Haruno right and their reactions to Azami were okay. I have the next few chapters of this story planned out and the canon storyline will start soon, but I am trying to settle Azami into Seido first.**

 **I hope you can review please and tell me if you liked it and what I can improve.**

 **Dōmo arigatōgozaimashita**


	3. Eijun

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ace of Diamond, it belongs to Yuji Terajima.**

 **I am making no profit from this story, it is only for entertainment.**

 **So now we are getting into the story a bit more, and things really begin to kick off.**

 **THANK YOU to** **YOYOYO** **for reviewing. You have cemented my faith in this story as I wasn't sure how it was being received. So thank you so much.**

 **I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

* * *

Chapter 3: **Eijun**

A week had gone by and Azami had managed to settle into a routine. Drag herself from her bed, jog around the school grounds, return and prepared for school and dash to class, grabbing breakfast on the way past.

She had managed to finally locate the cafeteria, but she never stayed any longer than 5 minutes if the baseball team was present. She may have been an athletics champion but she was much smaller than them, and in the cramped room there was not much room to use her speed to escape.

Meeting the team once was bad enough, and she wouldn't make that mistake again.

* * *

 _The evening was cool on her skin as Azami wandered outside, looking for any sign of life. She knew it was around dinner time, but apparently they had all already gone, leaving no opportunity for her to ask for directions._

 _Azami heard a deep voice behind he ask if she was okay. She turned and looked up at the giant in front of her, the stern look on his face prompting her to move onto the balls of her feet. Piercing yellow eyes looked down at her and his eyebrows gave his face an angry expression._

 _She couldn't help but notice his arms, large and corded, which informed her that he was one of the team members. One of the guys who used bats maybe?_

 _"_ _Yes, sorry, I was looking for the cafeteria as I am new and sort of lost" she stuttered, as the boy took a step closer._

 _"_ _Who are you? You are not on the team"_

 _Despite herself, Azami let out a soft snort. Did she look like she was on a team where they required arm strength? She by no means had weak arms, but the real strength lay in her legs. It was getting kind of annoying that they would just presume that she had something to do with baseball rather than asking._

 _"_ _No. I have nothing to do with baseball. I am here for the athletics team, but they are letting me stay in the dorms. And you are?" she replied, crossing her arms and raising a single eyebrow._

 _"_ _Kazehaya-san then? I was informed that there would be a student staying in the dorms that was not here for baseball but I was unsure if it was you"_

 _She gave him a deadpanned look. Who else would it be?_

 _"_ _I am Tetsu and follow me and I can take you there" he said, as he turned and walked away._

 _Azami started at the sudden move and jogged alongside the tall boy, keeping up with his long strides. Inwardly she was rejoicing that she was still wearing her running kit from her training after school. Her school skirt was horrible to move in._

 _A random thought occurred to her as they walked along in silence._

 _"_ _Why are you late for dinner, Tetsu?"_

 _He glanced at her for her lack of an honorific, but he could only see a mop of light blue hair bobbing beside him._

 _"_ _Meeting with the coach. Do you play shogi?"_

 _Azami looked sharply at him for the strange questions. Does he just ask random people he meets if they play strategy games?_

 _They came to a pair of double doors, chatter and light seeping through. Tetsu opened the door and stepped in, looking back at the small girl who poked her head in._

 _A sea of white baseball uniforms populated the room, brash and loud. A sign hung above the serving area, saying something about three bowls of rice and indeed it was true, as each player had three bowls in front of them. Though some of the younger members looked ill._

 _Tetsu left Azami to her sightseeing and after grabbing his food, sat down at a table with loads of large, older boys, looking about his age. After staring for a moment at the strange pink colour of one of the boy's hair she stepped fully inside, going towards the serving area._

 _She could feel the eyes roaming her body and pulled her blue jumper closer to her body._

 _Now, Azami was never one to step down from a challenge. Far from it; in fact, she usually repeated it until she became good enough to wipe it in their faces. Nor was she timid, as living most of her life with all males tended to toughen a girl up._

 _However, she was smart enough to realize than smart-talking a room of strong, strange boys with no room to run away would not be the best choice she had ever made._

 _She received her dinner, some meat with the fore-warned three bowls of rice, and looked for somewhere safe to sit. She started sweating slightly as she saw there was not much space. She turned around and asked if she could take it back to her room._

 _As soon as she saw the nod and promised to take the dishes back the next day, she walked calmly towards the door, still feeling the eyes on her._

 _She stepped outside and slid the door shut behind her, letting out a huge breath as she heard the room explode with noise behind her._

 _Yes, best to try and avoid crowded rooms._

* * *

After that event, she either ate in her room or went at times she knew the boys wouldn't be there.

She wasn't scared. No, she just knew when to retreat and when confronted with a room of tall, strong, teenage boys when she is the only female, that definitely qualified.

The rest of the week had passed in a similar fashion, and when the track team had started meeting up she was in the dorms even less. The athletics track that the team used was about a 10 minute run from the school, which served as a perfect warm-up.

Though they tended to finish earlier than Azami liked it was still something, and she stayed and did some extra training herself anyway. She had yet to find a decent running circuit around the dorms to use in the morning and at night but after spotting the figure the first night in the baseball grounds she had made a mental note to ask if she could use it too.

Her friendship with Haruno was going well too. Though they both had club activites after school, they spoke in class and during the lunch break. Haruno wanted to be a great manager for the baseball team but she was having balance issues and had a bad habit of dropping things. The girls were almost the opposite of each other; Haruno being kind, polite with no body control whatsoever and Azami being outspoken, frank with perfect control over her movements.

Azami had promised her new friend that she would try to help her with the club, teaching her a few exercises that might help while Haruno sometimes gave Azami parts of her lunch. It was an odd friendship but both girls were glad for it. Azami hoped that she was helping with Haruno's confidence too.

It had been about a week at Seido and Azami was staring out the window, ignoring whatever the sensei was warbling on about. She should probably pay more attention if she wanted to keep her spot in the top 10, but she could not bring herself to care as his monotone voice washed over her.

She jerked up straight as silence descended over the classroom. She looked towards her teacher and spotted his standing over a sleeping student and inwardly celebrated, glad he hadn't noticed her.

She looked closer at the sleeping boy, absolutely sure she recognized him. The teacher rhetorically asked to boy if his lecture was that boring. Silently, Azami was screaming yes.

Sawamura, huh? That name sounded vaguely familiar. She saw his groggy face as he sat up, a red patch on his right cheek. Personally, she thought he looked kind of dumb.

He managed to stay upright for a few more seconds before his face slammed back down, a low snore emitting from his crushed nose. Azami fought down a laugh as the sensei became even more furious but scrunched up her nose as she saw a slim line of drool.

The boy sitting behind him spoke up and announced that the sleeping boy was on a baseball scholarship, spurring murmurs of incredibility throughout the classroom. Azami's eyes widened as it clicked, the sensei still ranting.

He was the boy who was always running. Whenever she went on her twice daily runs, she always saw him racing around the baseball grounds with a tire following behind him. So she finally had a name to match to the body.

A blond boy with sour look on his face spoke up, his voiced laced with distain.

"He isn't on the baseball team"

At that statement, Azami turned sharply. If he wasn't on the team why was he always running?

The sleeping boy reacted even more violently. He stood up abruptly, turning to face the sour boy.

"Yeah, why aren't I on the team?"

His voice was slightly low, if a bit frantic and loud. She imagined he was naturally a loud person.

"His entrance into the team hasn't been accepted yet. He is still in training. Don't compare him to us"

Azami couldn't help but feel the stirring of anger in her chest. He appeared to train just as much as them, even more so since he was the only one she saw out so early and staying so late.

The class started muttering again, this time less in awe and more in disbelief. The anger in her chest only grew. Apparently, Sawamura felt it too. He slammed both his hand on the desk, staring down at it.

"Don't look at me with pity in your eyes!"

"No-one's acknowledged me yet. But one day…I will be the ace of the team and my name is Sawamura Eijun! And you'd better remember my name!" he shouted, looking at the class with burning eyes.

As Azami looked into his brown eyes, she could swear that she saw fire reflected; the orange and red mixing with the brown to produce a furnace.

Silence washed over the classroom, and Azami looked the boy in a new light. People looked down on him because he had to work harder than others. It was almost as if looking in a mirror. The beginnings of laughter sounded and soon the whole class was making fun of the boy.

Azami looked around her in disgust, that they would so easily brush aside his ambitions, his dreams. Even the sensei was laughing. She didn't though; she understood. Being looked down on, being pitied, underestimated. Having to work twice as harder to be recognized.

She watched Eijun flounder about, trying to convince the giggling class that his dream was achievable; that it was worth believing in.

She looked in front of her, glad to see that Haruno wasn't laughing either.

The rest of the class passed quickly and the end of day bell rang out. The class gathered up their notebooks and packed away their supplies, for either home or club supplies. Azami stuffed her supplies in her bag as she weaved her way past the exiting students, her eyes never leaving her target.

As he turned to leave she called out his name, hoping he'll here her over the din of the classroom.

"Eijun. Wait up" she called, watching as he paused and turned.

His eyes had retreated back into their regular brown, and if she hadn't seen it earlier she would never have thought that those eyes could dance with flames.

"Who are you? Wow, you are really short. Is that hair natural?" he said, the words tumbling out of his mouth without thought.

Azami held back from blowing up at him, trying to remain calm. Why had she thought this would be a good idea?

"I just wanted to say that I admire your ambition and I think you will be able to become the ace" she said, staring at the boy right in his eyes, trying to convince him to believe her.

"Really?" he asked, a confused look settling on his features.

"Yes. So don't let anyone tell you different" she affirmed, turning away and walking briskly out of the classroom. If she ran at top speed she should make it in time for the first exercises in the club.

What she didn't see when she turned away was the confused look fading, to be replaced by a smile; out of place on the exuberant boy. What she didn't know was she was the first person since he had arrived to tell him she thought he could.

* * *

 **That concludes the third chapter.**

 **I hope I got Eijun right. I felt this was an important scene.**

 **I hope you can review please and tell me if you liked it and what I can improve.**

 **Dōmo arigatōgozaimashita**


	4. Training

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ace of Diamond, it belongs to Yuji Terajima.**

 **I am making no profit from this story, it is only for entertainment.**

 **Thank you to Misaki Younna, Lynxkitten and Guestess for the reviews. I know that chapter has been a long time coming and I am working on it, it just takes me a bit longer than others.**

 **We learn a bit more this chapter.**

 **Thank you those who favourited and followed too, I really hope you guys enjoy the latest chapter.**

* * *

Chapter 4: **Training**

As the bell rang through the classroom, the heavy thud of a head hitting a desk accompanied it.

"Haruno-chan, It's been two days and there is absolutely no where nearby that is decent for training" Azami complained, her voice muffled by her desk.

Ever since the track team had cancelled their practice for the next couple of months due to 'maintenance', Azami had been searching for a suitable place to carry out her own regime. If she was going to keep up her national standard then she had to establish a routine.

Doing laps around the school buildings and exercising in her room could only take her so far.

"The baseball team does fitness sets as part of their training. They are already letting you stay in the dorms, so they might be willing to let you join in?" Haruno said, watching the pale blue head pop up.

Grey eyes sparkled up at her as Azami sprung from her seat, grabbing Haruno's shoulders.

"Can I come with you to practice today? Having a manager on my side might make them more likely to say yes. They do pretty strict training don't they?" the bluenette asked, shaking the redhead's shoulder slightly.

Haruno nodded and Azami let go, both the girls grabbing their bags and heading out the door. Azami attempted to neatly put her notes into her bag, but quickly gave up and shoved them in, deciding it was something to worry about when she did her homework later.

"Why haven't you asked before?" Haruno asked, watching as Azami succeeded in closing her bag.

"Well, I didn't really want to disturb them since they are letting me stay here plus they are a completely different sport; but now I am at the point where I really don't care about the niceties because I am seriously going to struggle at the qualifiers if I don't get into a real regime soon" Azami replied, dodging the bodies around them.

What she wasn't going to tell her friend was she had no desire to hang around the team as a whole anymore than she had to after the cafeteria incident. Like she said, she wasn't scared or timid, just practical. There were a lot of them and only one her. Tetsu was alright and she always said hello to Eijun when she saw him.

"So you do the sprinting events?" Haruno asked.

"Yeah, the 100m and the 200m; I am better at the 100m but I like to do both. At my middle school there was also the relay but I stopped it after my second year."

Azami looked ahead as she felt Haruno looking at her. She had no desire to recount the disaster at the end of her second year at Daini besides sprinting was a solo sport.

"Anyway, there is a mini competition this weekend at one of the local tracks. It's too far away for me to use it to train but it shouldn't be a problem using it to compete. Plus I can see how far I am from where I was at nationals" Azami said.

She turned to her friend, smiling fondly as Haruno narrowly avoided crashing into one of the hallway bins.

"Do you want to come? It won't last long and the bus is more fun than you think" Azami asked, her voice becoming sing-song near the end.

The redhead looked over in surprise before smiling warmly.

"I would love to, i-if you really want me there" she said hesitantly.

"I definitely do" Azami grinned.

"You k-know, I think it is amazing how you are going to compete. I mean, you don't have a team or anything but you are going to do it anyway" Haruno said.

Azami lost her smile for a moment, remembering her 'team' back in middle school.

"You don't need a team to run."

Haruno glanced at her but soon dropped her head, leaving it at that.

The two exited the building and made their way to the training grounds. As they came to the diamond, the practice was already in full swing with shouting and grunting matching the swishing of the bats and the thwacks of the ball.

Azami looked around, spotting Eijun out near the fence running laps. She looked back at Haruno as the girl nudged her pointing out a gruff looking man with sunglasses overseeing what looked like fielding practice.

"That's the coach. He is the guy you need to speak to about joining training." Haruno said, backing away slowly to one of the smaller buildings.

"So I am late and I will leave you to it" she finished hurriedly, almost tripping as she turned around.

"Thanks, Haruno-chan" Azami sweat-dropped, sighing as she eyed the players between her and the coach.

She strode over to the coach, avoiding the boys that had begun to stare at her. She glared back, smirking when the boys looked away. Azami had almost managed to reach her goal before she heard someone yell at her.

"Duck, blue girl!"

The first thought that ran through Azami's head was 'blue girl'. Seriously? Now she thought about it, she did wear a lot of blue, not to mention her hair…

At least it was a refreshing change from pipsqueak or something along those lines. The second thought was 'oh shit' as she briefly saw the round projectile headed straight for her.

Azami hit the deck, holding her arms over her head as she heard the ball hit something above her. She glanced up to see Tetsu swinging the bat, hitting the ball back in the direction it came from. He had definitely not been there a second ago.

She sighed, accepting the hand from Tetsu and she brushed the dust off her, flapping her navy jumper.

"Thanks" she said to Tetsu, smiling in gratitude.

"Why are you here, Kazehaya-san?" he asked, watching the girl attempt to straighten out her uniform. She gave up quickly, leaving the navy jumper hanging off her shoulder.

"I'm here to see your coach about some training. Turns out to be way more dangerous than I remember baseball being, but there are a lot more of you-" she stopped, seeing the captain staring at her.

"So yeah… I am here to see your coach" she finished.

Tetsu nodded and walked past her, beckoning her as he walked towards the dude with the sunglasses. As they came closer, Azami looked at the stern features on the face of the baseball coach. He looked like the grumpy type, as she had a hard time imagining any kind of smile on his face, and the fact that she couldn't see his eyes didn't help.

"Coach, this is the track team student staying in the dorms, Kazehaya Azami. She wanted to speak to you" Tetsu said.

Azami shuffled on her feet slightly before stopping and looking straight at the teacher's face. He couldn't be any worse than her father on a rough day; she could handle this. She bowed her head slightly in a gesture of respect, something she very rarely did and spoke politely.

"Forgive me for my disruption. I was wondering if there was any chance of participating in your training. My own club has been cancelled for the next two months and I need a strict regime to keep up my standards. I would only participate in the running and strength building exercises; otherwise I would just use the outer rim as stamina and speed training" she said, glancing up.

The coach's face gave no indication that he had heard her.

"That should be fine, but do not disrupt the club. When we have a match we take priority for the field. We train hard and long and it will be up to you to keep up" he warned.

Azami's face broke into a wide grin, barely remembering to nod her head to the coach and the captain.

"I will not be in your way and thank you. The harsher the training the better" she said, turning to jog to the nearest toilet to change.

* * *

"Hey Eijun!" Azami called out, running to catch up to the boy.

The brunette spotted the girl making her way over and he grinned, waving. The bluenette sprang into step with him and they continued onwards.

"Why are you running with me? Don't you have a club? Have you joined baseball?" Eijun asked, the questions merging into one long sentence.

"Do you not like running with me? I know it has been a tense minute but I thought it was going rather well" Azami said, trying to hold back her smirk at the flustered confusion of the boy.

"What? I never said that, what do you mean tense?" Eijun questioned, his brow furrowing as he watched the girl burst into laughter.

"I'm messing with you, Eijun. My club cancelled on me for a couple of months so I am joining with parts of the baseball team's training until they get back up and running" Azami grinned, the boy beside her reflecting the expression after a moment.

"So you are going to be running with me? That's great!" Eijun exclaimed.

Azami stretched out her legs as she settled into her rhythm. It was nice running beside someone again; at the club she had run the circuit with the others but they had never done it _together_.

"So when do you get to actually play?" Azami asked, glancing sideways at Eijun.

"There's a game tomorrow; first years vs the upperclassmen. I haven't been told anything but the coach has to give me a chance. If he won't then I just have to work harder" Eijun replied, his usual bright expression missing.

Azami looked him with soft, grey eyes, nudging him with her arm. She smiled as he looked up, speeding up so she was running just in front of him.

"He will recognize your hard work; we just have to show him how much you want it" she said.

"Now come on! I feel like going a real speed and I am pretty sure you can handle it."

Eijun grinned and came up beside her, the pair increasing their speed until they were sprinting. He watched the petite bluenette raced ahead of him, her steps light and at the same time, powerful. They made one complete circuit at the punishing pace, Azami reaching the point over two minutes before Eijun. She panted harshly as the brunette came to stand beside her, breathing just as hard.

"You are really fast, you know that?" Eijun said, joining the girl as they started to walk along the fence.

"Well, yeah, I am a sprinter. It is kind of what I do" she answered.

Azami picked up her pace again and two continued, light words being exchanged as they made their way around the training grounds. Azami couldn't keep her bright expression off her face; Eijun wasn't so loud when they were running and the new, heavier weights she wore around her ankles gave her legs a nice ache as she ran.

Eventually the baseball training came to halt as the team stretched and headed to dinner. Azami watched the groups of boys head towards the cafeteria before she felt a tap on her shoulder. She looked at Eijun as he watched her with an expectant expression.

"You coming?" he asked.

She would have to go back to the cafeteria at some point, and having an ally guiding her would give her an advantage if the other members of the team tried anything.

"Sure" she smiled and they walked towards the cafeteria.

* * *

Azami sat down at one of the tables, Eijun taking a seat beside her. Two other first years were already sat at the table, one tall with black hair and the other sporting a rather interesting shade of pink. Not that she could really say anything with her own light blue curls.

"That's Furuya, and he's Haruichi" Eijun said, pointing at the respective boys with his chopsticks.

Azami gave them a small wave, grinning widely.

"Hi there, I'm Azami, the track student" she said, digging into the large bowl of rice in front of her.

Haruichi offered a small smile in return and nodded his head.

"Nice to meet you Azami-san. I saw you running today, you are indeed fast" he said.

"Thanks Haruichi. So what do you do in baseball?" Azami said, bits of rice sticking to her cheeks.

"I bat and field, although I have a long way to go" Haruichi said, blushing faintly.

Azami nodded and looked over to the other first year. He was as pale as her, contrasting nicely with his black hair. He looked faintly ill as he made his way through his dinner; the Seidō team being required to eat three bowls of rice on top of their regular meals. It took a bit of getting used to.

"What about you, Furuya?" she asked.

He glanced up at her, his blue eyes calm. He seemed the quiet sort, not shy like Haruichi seemed to be, but just naturally silent.

"I am a pitcher" he replied, his eyes darting towards Eijun.

Azami paused her meal, watching the two boys narrow their eyes at each other. So Eijun had some competition? Either way it was a time for food, not rivalry.

"So, anyway, I have a mini competition this weekend at one of the tracks. Do any of you want to come?" Azami asked, partly to diffuse the tension but also because it could be fun. It would definitely be interesting anyway.

"I'll be there Azami," grinned Eijun, giving her a thumbs up.

"I am really sorry but I have something on, I will definitely attend the next one though" said Haruichi.

"Same" Furuya added.

Azami smiled at them.

"It's alright, it was pretty short notice anyway."

The four continued to eat, chatting among themselves with the occasional outburst from Eijun and nod from Furuya. It was kinda nice sitting with people for dinner, eating alone in her room wasn't the greatest thing ever even if it did lead to completed homework. Even though she didn't really belong there, they didn't seem to mind.

Azami smiled at them; she may not have a team anymore but Seidō wasn't all that bad.

* * *

 **This concludes the fourth chapter.**

 **Next chapter is going to be the game and the competition. We might even meet an old teammate of Azami's.**

 **Please could you review about what you like and what I can improve upon.**

 **Arigatou gozaimasu**


	5. Announcement

Hello there, author here.

So I haven't updated this story in a while and I wanted to let anyone who is interested in seeing it continued know that I haven't forgotten about it. I discovered that I am terrible at writing multiple stories at once so I am focusing on finishing one at a time.

I will be finishing 'Sticks and Stones' first, 'Blazing Form, Piercing Wind' second and then 'An Emperor's Youth'.

So I will be finishing this story in the future, it just won't be immediate. I apologise if this upsets anyone who wants the latter two sooner, but they will be continued and finished. Eventually. I just wanted to let anyone following or favouriting know. I promised myself when I started writing that I wouldn't leave a story unfinished and I am still determined to uphold it.

Thank you for your support and I will do my best to write to the utmost of my ability!

redninjalass19


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